


Join the Dark Side, we Have Hacks

by mandaree1



Category: OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes
Genre: Attempted Blackmail, Dendy befriends the local evil robot population, Dendy loves taking notes, Gen, Lots of Hugs and Fluff, Lots of Notes, Misunderstandings, Robot Piranhas, Spying, blanket burritos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-03-16 14:48:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13638423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mandaree1/pseuds/mandaree1
Summary: Fearing she is taking advantage of her friendship with K.O., Dendy sets out to retrieve secret info from Boxmore.





	1. Day 1

"Dendy, I _mustache_  you a question."

"Okay," Dendy said, studying the POW Card in her hand. "Ask me the question."

"Wait, no, I was making a- never mind." K.O. let out a sheepish little laugh as he handed her his brand new Mustache Darrell POW Card. "You likey?"

She lifted it to the light, watching the foil shimmer. "I find it curious that Darrells are mostly the same, physically speaking, but every single robot with a different outfit gets their own card."

"I think it's neat!" K.O. thrust his hands in the air. "It's like every Darrell is the first!"

"It certainly makes him collectible," Dendy agreed, then handed the card back. Together, the duo sat on the tile floor of the Bodega, a flimsy cereal box between them to set their precious cards on. Her screen told her it was precisely sixty-eight degrees out, with a chance of precipitation as low as five percent. The weatherman had predicted rain, and the two umbrellas next to them informed her he'd fooled them. K.O. had left his in his mother's car.

"Ugh." Rad draped himself over the counter with a disgusted groan. "Ya'll're obsessed with those things. And that's coming from a hardcore fan."

Dendy quietly gave K.O. her UFO Shannon. "What do you suggest we do, then?"

"I dunno. What do you guys usually do?"

"We trade POW Cards," K.O. chipped in cheerfully.

" _Besides_  that."

"We fiddle with Dendy's hackpack!"

"We don't 'fiddle', K.O.," Dendy scolded, though she didn't sound upset. "We conduct experiments and test hypothesis."

The alien rolled onto his stomach to eye them better. "You guys  _do_  do other stuff, right? Like, what about stuff you like, little buddy?"

"I like POW Cards," K.O. replied, just as Dendy said: "What do you mean, stuff  _he_  likes?"

"It just seems like ya'll do a lot of computer stuff, is all. Logic stuff. Boring stuff."

 _Dendy stuff_ , her mind supplied, having been told she was boring more than once before. Dendy didn't quite mind that. Some people like cartoons. Some people like music. Dendy's passions just happen to lie in machines. Science. Facts and statistics.

His tone of voice made her frown, though she couldn't quite tell why.

"Leave 'em be, Rad." Enid reached out to punch his shoulder. "Let them play with POW Cards if they wanna."

"I'm not saying they shouldn't play!" he defended, rubbing the wounded spot with a pout.

K.O., who had been tapping his chin thoughtfully, finally perked up. "We play tag sometimes!"

"Oh. Right," Dendy said. "Tag. That's a fun game we play."

"Tag is fun," Enid agreed. "I'm more of a hide-n-seek type myself, but I'm biased. Teleportation and all that."

The kappa hardly heard. She was staring thoughtfully at the cards strewn about the cereal box that technically belonged on a shelf. The weather didn't seem to matter very much, anymore. Nor the odd number of Darrell cards. She touched one, feeling the familiar and soothing texture.

* * *

Dendy did the math three times. The second was because she made a point to double-check her work. The third was because she had a half-hope her computer had malfunctioned somehow, despite the fact that a malfunction would inevitably mean more work for her down the line.

"Sixty percent," she read aloud, perching herself on her bed. "Sixty percent of the time, when K.O. and I are together, we play with POW Cards." Dendy clicked the smaller part of the graph, separating it into unequal portions. "Of the remaining forty percent, thirty of it is spent on continuing various aspects of my research." She breathed sharply out of her nose, dissipating the graph entirely. Dendy reclined back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling she had known all her life. "Which means that only ten percent of the time, we do activities that K.O. enjoys outside of our shared interest."

Math didn't lie. It couldn't. It was numbers. Numbers were cold and distant, and they never, ever lied, unlike caring friends who didn't want to bring to light a grievous error on the behalf of their _other_  friend.

"Have I... been selfish?" she asked herself. "K.O. and I have such limited time together. Homework is in my path, while heroism and working a day shift are in his. POW Cards have become a pivotal bonding implement between us, and I have grown that much more appreciative of them in the past few months. However... have I unknowingly hindered our friendship by sucking up what was left? Have I... been a drag?" The thought alone made her sit up. "I must rectify this immediately."

But how? She knew, quite well even, that K.O., feeling he had slighted his friends in any way, would set out on a quest of some kind to fix things. But Dendy was not the questing type. Dendy was the type to hack into the security of the place K.O. wanted to quest into... type. If that made any logical sense.

She smacked her fist onto the open palm of her hand. "I need a second opinion."

Dendy found Pavel sitting in his usual chair, reading his usual newspaper. The tiny frog perched in his head-pond croaked as she peered around the entryway, making him look up and spot her. "Oh! Heya, Den."

"I need advice."

Pavel shifted over, patting the free spot he'd made. "Come'on up, kiddo."

She nodded and sat down. Normally, Dendy didn't enjoy being that close to someone else, but she didn't mind it when it was her parents. The same could be said of K.O., but K.O. had the size and intimidation factor of a teddy bear, so she wasn't sure if he counted. "I fear I've made an error in my friendship with K.O."

"Uh-oh," her father said. He reached up to pick the tiny frog up and set it in her lap. Dendy liked to pet it when she was upset. "What happened, Den?"

"I've been selfish," she admitted quietly, shamefully staring at her lap-mate, who croaked supportively. "K.O. and I have focused so much on my research, we haven't done much else, and I don't believe that's fair to him."

Pavel's brow furrowed. "But, honey, you enjoy your research! And I'm sure K.O. does too."

"Perhaps, but K.O.'s passions do not align with mine." She tapped her fingers together. "By focusing on me, I have not been much help with the things  _he_  enjoys. And I want to make it up to him. I had hoped... you might have some suggestions?"

"Hmmmm..." He wrapped his arm around her for a side-hug. "Maybe a gift basket? I've found that's a pretty good way to start a conversation."

"A gift basket?"

"Sure, why not? I'll loan you the technos."

Dendy smiled and returned the affection, the tiny frog shifting between them. "Thank you."

"Anytime, Den. Now, why don't you tell yer old man about the new science-y thing yer workin' on?"

* * *

The next day at the Plaza was exactly sixty-five degrees, with a fifteen percent chance of precipitation, and while it was technically cooler than the day prior, Dendy thought that the humidity had made it worse. She rather enjoyed a murky, foggy day to keep her skin hydrated, but those were few and far between in a place like this.

"A gift basket," Dendy whispered, bringing up her statistics. "What should I fill it with? POW Cards?" She brought her fingers to her chin. "Would that be fitting, or too blasé?"

She clicked exit, then noticed the familiar purple building of Boxmore across the street, distorted by the blue of her screen. Dendy moved her files over to get a better look, forgoing actually taking her screen down. Smoke chugged out of spires as new machines were constructed for evil uses. The kappa could just barely hear the manufacturing line in use, the creak of gears and slamming of pistons, though she wasn't sure if she had imagined it or not.

"Hmmm," she said, copying Pavel's little hum. She pulled up a new file, testing out a couple of algorithms. "I may need to change my strategy..."

* * *

**Concept: Spying On Boxmore Industries**

**Danger Level: Medium-High**

**Pros: Getting Info For Bodega, Working On Technology, Cementing Friendship with K.O.**

**Cons: Working For Villain, Working On Technology (Not For Personal Gain), See Danger Level Above**

**Unknowns: Boxman's Hiring Policy Towards Non-Robots, Kappas In Particular**

**Knowns: Boxman Hates Friendship, Is Aware Of Friendship With K.O, Is An All-Around Jerk.**

**Notes: Heroes Make Sacrifices, K.O. Is A Hero, I Am Friends With K.O. By The Law Of Association, I Am Bound By A Hero's Morals.**

**Addendum: This Is The Stupidest Idea I've Ever Had**

* * *

"Equal pros and cons," she noted. "The danger level is unfortunate, but I am no shrinking violet when it comes to battling. The real issue is going to be getting hired in the first place."

Dendy's feet had begun to propel her without her permission, wandering over to the large and evil corporation across the road. Thankfully, before she could make such a life-altering decision in such a public and brightly-lit place, a voice called out to her. "Dendy!"

The kappa barely had the time to vanish her files before K.O. had drug her into a hug, grinning ear to ear. "Hiya, Dendy! Whatcha doin'?"

"I'm coming to visit you, of course," Dendy answered, praying she'd hit save at some point. Knowing her, she probably had, but sometimes it slipped her mind. "I simply got curious about the Boxmore company's... building structure?"

K.O. stuck his tongue out. "It's an  _evil_  place with  _evil_  building structure."

She adjusted her goggles. "Actually, the structure looked quite sound, especially considering you toss robots at it daily."

Enid and Rad were at the counter like usual, talking with their heads bent close together. The former elbowed the latter in the ribs when the doors slid open, causing him to stand up straight. "Hey, Dendy. Can I, like, real talk a sec with you?"

Dendy stopped and blinked up at him. "We're talking now."

"You right, you right," Rad said. "Look, I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to be a butthead."

"I wasn't aware of you being a butthead," she admitted, mildly surprised.

"I was being kinda passive-aggressive." He rubbed the back of his head. "I shouldn't've called your thing boring. Everybody likes different stuff, y'know? There's a lot of people who think energy bars are boring, but they're my favs."

"Oh," Dendy replied, though she had multiple other answers she could have given, varying from _I know, I've studied your daily routine_ , to  _energy bars_  are  _boring_ , but she finds none of them satisfactory. "Not to worry, Radicles. Your words did not harm me. If anything, they've given me a new perspective of how others may perceive me."

"Oh." Rad looked at her, stupefied, before slowly breaking into a smile. "You're, uh, welcome, then."

K.O. eventually frees her from the terrible music that plays almost constantly in Gar's Bodega, walking her out with a cheerful farewell. Dendy walked around for a bit, finally taking up a spare bench in the food court- one of the yucky, gross ones in the back, so no one would dare sit near her. She opened her email, and reluctantly started typing.

_Lord Boxman of Boxmore Industries;_

_I am Dendy. Due to a series of unfortunate events (the title of which I do not claim to own), I have recently decided to take the first step into villainy. As you are the most powerful villain in the Bodega area, I wish to turn to you for advice, and perhaps even employment. I am highly skilled in the world of technology, and believe I could be an asset to the evolution of your company. I have attached a resume below._

_May the Plaza be burned,  
Dendy._

Out loud, Dendy let out a quiet squeak, feeling very conflicted. She hated lying, and she'd just discovered she hated pretending to be for the destruction of her reoccurring weekend hangout spot even more. She squirmed uncomfortably as she read the message over again. The kappa took a deep breath in, then out. "Focus, Dendy. This plan is about far more than a nonsensical loyalty to a series of shopping centers and restaurants."

She clicked send before her nerves could betray her.

* * *

"Sooooo... Dandy, was it?"

"Dendy, sir."

Of all the outcomes Dendy had expected that particular day, being seated in front of Lord Boxman was not one of them. She didn't think interviews were same-day basis, and yet, after a quick snack and smoothie, she'd come back to find a two-sentence response, requesting for her to come by after hours.

Dendy didn't think normal interviewees had two Raymonds flanking the door behind them, either.

" _Dendy_ ," Lord Boxman said her name as if it were the name of a slug. He slammed his hands down on his desk. "Soo, Dendy. You mind telling me how you got access to my private email address?"

"It's on your website, sir."

He stared at her, flabbergasted. "Is it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Oh." The simple statement had torn the air from his lungs, as evidenced by the way he slowly slumped back down in his seat, steepling his fingers. "Well, then. What are these so-called 'unfortunate events' of your's that suddenly made you so interested in villainy, anyway?"

"I examined myself, and realized I was selfish," she said, and it was nice not to have to lie. Not technically, anyway. "I have many emotional flaws, and while they make me an interesting character to delve into, I also realized they gave me more motivation to be evil over being good."

"And why did you decide to take this little  _phase_  to Boxmore Industires?"

"I like machines, sir."

"Really?" Lord Boxman narrowed his eyes at her. "Prove it, whelp!"

Dendy didn't move. "How so?"

"I dunno," he admitted, waving it off. "Wow me."

"Okay." She slipped out of her chair and went around to the closest Raymond, who grimaced at her like a stain on his cleat. She ignored it, jamming a cable into the nearest port she could find- the palm of his hand, in this case- before pulling up his schematics. "Tell me, Raymond. Is there any changes you'd like done?"

He flushed a bit. "Changes? Why, whatever do you mean?"

"I can change your colors, the shape of your hair, sound of your voice..." she listed them off, scrolling down. "Whatever pleases you."

Raymond looked to Lord Boxman for approval, but the villain simply shrugged, disinterested. He sheepishly tapped his claws together. "Well... As much as I enjoy my grassy theme... I _do_  have to admit the gentle colors of roses are... tempting."

Dendy nodded. "Would you prefer highlights, or full-body color?"

"H-Highlights."

She typed the command in and hit the little button. A flash of light pink overtook the 'bot, leaving his spikes, fingers, and connectors the same color as his most beloved flower. Raymond let out a gasp of awe and looked himself over, while the Raymond opposite of him frowned jealously. "I look even  _more_  stunning than before! Why, I didn't even realize that was possible!"

Dendy turned slightly, then went back to looking straight ahead when she noticed Lord Boxman had come closer. Meeting his eye felt weird. And wrong. She didn't know if it was because he was a stranger, or because he wasn't exactly friendly. Maybe it was both. "I suppose you've got the minimal qualifications," he grunted into the awkward silence. "One last thing. Aren't you a friend of K.O.?"

 _This is it, Dendy_ , she thought.  _Just go with the pre-thought out excuse_. The kappa took in another controlled breath and pivoted on her heels, making her eyes turn into sideways Is. That always seemed to intimidate people, for whatever reason. "A villainous character is only made that much more interesting by their odd connections, Lord Boxman, sir."

Lord Boxman put his hands on his hips, examining her for any final criticisms. Dendy waited. Finally, he let out a long sigh. "You start tomorrow."

"You will not regret this, sir," she said, shaking his hand, though she had already resolved to put ' _Will Regret This Greatly'_  on the file.

* * *

**Name: Lord Boxman**

**Nickname or Full Name: No Data**

**(If Nickname) Full Name: No Data**

**Danger Level: Medium**

**Unknowns: Age, Backstory, Replacement Hobbies Once Plaza is** **Destroyed**

**Knowns: Hatred of Plaza (Specifically Gar's Bodega), Willing to Hire Kappas and Other Non-Robots, Owns Boxmore**

**Notes: Probably Hired Dendy (Self) to Get Back at K.O.**

**Overall Opinion: Butthead**

* * *

**Name: Raymond**

**Nickname, Or Full Name: No Data**

**(If Nickname) Full Name: No Data**

**Danger Level: Low-Medium**

**Unknowns: Age, How Much of Plaza Hatred Is His Own, How Many Sports He Plays, Opinion of Dendy (Self)  
**

**Knowns: Loyal to Father Figure (Lord Boxman), Likes Sports, Likes Roses, Melodramatic**

**Notes: Possible Ally In Exchange For Coloring**

**Overall Opinion: Uses Too Many Sports Euphemisms to be Scary**

* * *

"Aren't you that child who beat me up?" Ernesto asked, rubbing at the back of his metallic dome. "...After giving me constructive criticism?"

"Indeed," Dendy replied, not looking up from her typing. She could feel the eyes of all the Boxmore robots on her as she quietly did her work in the lounge chair she'd been provided. She did not think herself in any immediate danger; just under scrutiny. "I hope you found my words to be useful overall."

She suddenly had a single eyeball in her face, courtesy of Darrell, who had shoved his head through her hologram. " _This_  is the twerp who wrecked you, Ernie? I was expecting someone... taller."

"I'm of average size for my species," she countered.

Shannon came up on her other side, eyes narrowed, face inches from her goggles. "Daddy's never _hired_  people before. He has  _clients_ , but never any  _employees_. How'd you pull it off, brat?"

"My name is Dendy," Dendy said. "I merely showed off my qualifications."

"She's right," Raymond added, surprising her. He struck a pose. "Just look what the little monster did to me! I look better than ever!"

Shannon's eyes lit up. "Can you do that to me? Only with purple?"

"I can."

"Ooh, ooh, and me!" Darrell cried, waving his arms. "I wanna look like a rainbow!"

Dendy edged back slightly, a little intimidated by their overwhelming nature (she was used to it from K.O., but K.O. was one boy), but it was a bit late in the experiment to chicken out now. Not to mention she needed their trust. A solid metal panel bumped her boot, making her look down, and there was Jethro.

"Would you... like a highlight too?" she asked.

"I am Jethro," Jethro said.

Her eyes darted to the other robots, but they were staring at her, so Dendy told herself to just do with it. "Which color would your prefer?"

"I am Jethro."

"You're right, buddy." Darrell picked the 'bot up like he was a baby. "You  _would_  look good with gray."

* * *

Dendy pretended to give it thought. She put her hand to her chin and let out a long and monotone 'hmmmmmm', as if carefully weighing the pros and cons, when really a simple look told her there was plenty of the latter and none to the former.

Finally, she said, with as much tact as Dendy possessed; "I do not follow, Lord Boxman, sir. How will this lead to the destruction of the Plaza?"

"Are you serious?" he scoffed, tossing his hands in the air. "I think having robotic piranha monsters invade their plumbing to destroy the Bodega's credibility is a very good plan, thank you very much!"

"I understand how that might be true in theory, but it does not work in reality."

Lord Boxman narrowed his eyes at her. "And how would _you_  know, newbie?"

Dendy simply pointed at the prototype, swimming happily in its pool. It was easily the size of a bus. "I don't believe it will fit."

"How dare you-" he spluttered, amongst other things. Dendy narrowed her eyes into slits and waited for him to get his words under control. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Raymond and Shannon exchange a worried look. She didn't know what they would be worried about. Perhaps their father's mental state, if nothing else. "I ought to have you turned to molecules!"

"We all need constructive criticism, sir," she replied steadily. "It helps us grow."

"You know what? Fine!" Lord Boxman chucked whatever was in his hand to the floor- it sounded metallic, so Dendy assumed it to be a tool- and grabbed her shoulders. "You want the truth, you little mongrel?"

"If it pleases you, sir."

He sighed and let go. The villain's voice was so low she had to strain her ears to hear him. "I've got... evil block."

"Evil block?" Dendy echoed.

"Evil block!" Lord Boxman shouted, looking pained at the mere thought. "It happens to the best of 'em, I suppose. One day, you've got schemes out the ears. The next? Nothing. Zip. Nadda." His chicken claw came up to rub the bridge of his nose. "Then you start designing robots too big for spaces too small and gross to be properly invaded."

Dendy looked back at the Boxmore 'bots, though she didn't know what she expected them to do. They shuffled awkwardly. Raymond sent her a shrug. The kappa stiffened her resolve and touched his arm, grateful for the layer of fabric between their skin. "Sometimes, when I have creative block, I find forcing myself to work through a problem to be beneficial," she told him gently. "Perhaps, if we figure out a way to make the piranhas smaller, but just as dangerous, you will get your evil juices flowing again- so to speak."

He sniffed. "You really think so?"

"I certainly hope so, sir. I'd hate for my first suggestion to be a failure."

Lord Boxman straightened fully, tucking his arms behind his back. "Well! I must admit, I only hired you to get back at K.O., so I'm a bit surprised that you've already proven to be a help."

"Daddy!" Shannon yelped. "Don't just tell her your evil plans- not the ones that relate to her, anyway!"

"Not to worry." Dendy pulled up the file she had on Boxman, thankful she'd thought to edit out her overall opinion the night before. "I figured as much."

"Huh. Neat. WAIT A MINUTE!" He tapped furiously at the screen. "Why is  _my_  danger level medium?"

"Typo." She quickly deleted it and typed in 'high', despite not feeling the least bit intimidated. "Is this better, sir?"

"Much." He nodded in a satisfied manner. "This may have been a better plot than I first thought. With your common sense and  _notes_ , the chance I'll get to destroy Lakewood Plaza soon is so much higher, even with my evil block!"

"I'm glad you think so, sir," Dendy said sincerely.

* * *

**Day 1 Notes:**

**-There is a lot of ineffectively used space in Boxmore Industries**

**-Robots are easily coerced with colors (Addendum: make profiles for others soon)**

**-Lord Boxman is suffering from a case of 'evil block', which is probably the reason Dendy (self) was hired.**

**-Robotic piranhas don't belong anywhere near bathrooms**

**-Lord Boxman continues to be a butthead**


	2. Day 3

**Day 2 Notes:**

**-Boxmore 'bots are easily excited and just as easily pleased**

**-Ernesto is really good at playing cards; Dendy (self) owes him two technos.**

**-Lord Boxman continues to be a butthead**

**-No progress as of yet**

* * *

"Welcome to Gar's, get your stuff and get out," Enid greeted as Dendy walked through the front door, absorbed in her phone. She glanced up to see how her words had been taken, then realized who she'd addressed in the first place. "Oh, hey, Dendy. Where've you been?"

"I have been walking."

"Fair enough," she said, then turned back to her phone.

Rad passed by with a box of various goods to shelve, stopping to blink at her. "You looked wiped, dude."

Dendy let out an awkward half-laugh, rubbing her hands through her already messy hair. She made a mental note to jot that down as a possible nervous tic later. "I do not pull myself together very well when I don't sleep correctly."

"Bad night?"

She didn't think it a bright idea to tell two heroes that she'd slept badly because of anxious nerves relating to betraying herself to villains. Dendy didn't need her beloved facts and statistics to know that would go poorly. "Something like that."

"DENDY!" K.O. cried, hopping over multiple shelves to reach her quicker. He hit the ground and took off at a sprint; the kappa had the presence of mind to put her hands out and block him from tackling her, which Dendy assumed to not be his intent. "You gotta help me!"

"K.O.," Dendy said patiently. "I am no more built for reaching the higher shelves than you are, and I still refuse to 'stack'."

"What? No, not that." K.O. looked on the verge of tears. "The test, Dendy! Ms. Quantum's big test!"

"Oh. That."

"I can't handle another F, Dendy! She'll hang me from the side of the school! I'll be another one of her stories! 'Don't be like K.O.', she'll say, 'he failed his test and got hung off the side of the school. Then his mommy got so disappointed in him that he exploded into a million pieces. The end.'"

"Disappointment will not kill you, K.O."

"It'll kill my  _soul_ , Dendy!" he wailed, shaking her.

Enid sucked in a hissing breath, setting her phone aside entirely. "Ms. Quantum is  _still_  kicking it in the teaching biz?  _Dang_."

"Which one was Ms. Quantum?" Rad asked. "I suck at remembering teacher names."

"She was the one who always threw stuff at us."

A lightbulb popped up over his head. "Ooooooh, _her_. I totally thought she'd have retired by now."

"She takes too much enjoyment out of her work," Dendy sighed. "She  _says_  she hates seeing us fail, but she sure isn't trying to help students with their work, either."

K.O. snorked back some rising snot. Dendy's nose wrinkled with disgust. "You're my only hope, Dendy. You gotta help me. A-And, if you're too busy, maybe you could spare me some study guides instead?"

Dendy let out a sigh. Normally, she'd pull up her schedule and see about penciling him in at a later time, but she knew her schedule would have some very sensitive information on it, so it was now or never. "Fine. But only if I can have the beanbag chair."

* * *

"Now, little ones," Ernesto tried, holding his hands up. "We must leave our new employee alone so she can do her work."

Shannon was having none of it. "But it's not _fair_  that Raymond gets to be all highlighted and we aren't yet!"

"Yeah!" Darrell added, as if that somehow made her argument more powerful.

"It's fine, Ernesto," Dendy said without looking up. She sat criss-cross on the lounge chair, surrounded by screens. "Changing their pallets won't take long."

* * *

**Name: Ernesto**

**Nickname or Full Name: No Data**

**(If Nickname) Full Name: No Data**

**Danger Level: Medium**

**Unknowns: Age, How Much of Plaza Hatred Is His Own**

**Knowns: Beatable by Dendy (self), Self-Conscious, Probably Handles Finances, Loyal to Father Figure (Lord Boxman)**

**Notes: Is Only Boxmore Robot Uninterested in Attacking Plaza Full-Time Like Siblings, Despite Hating Plaza, May Hate Battling All Together.**

**Overall Opinion: Apprecitate His Style**

* * *

They descended on her hackpack before Dendy had the time to do much else, greedily grabbing wires and plugging them into various outlets. The kappa had to tell them repeatedly that only one could go at a time, lest they wanted to mix and match, which led to a mild scuffle over who went first. During said scuffle, Jethro rolled over, and Dendy gave him the gray highlights he appearantly wanted. Then came Shannon and Darrell, respectively. Ernesto declined, stating he rather enjoyed his form the way it was, but Dendy noticed him eyeing the color wheel she brought up for them to pick from.

"What _is_  all this stuff, anyway?" Shannon tried to pull one of her screens closer, but Dendy had locked them into place. "It doesn't look like anything daddy would want you to do."

"It's schoolwork," she explained. "I'm studying for a test."

"A test? Lord Boxdad gives us those, sometimes." Darrel slid his finger across the screen, flipping to the next page of her study guide. "But it's not over this stuff. He usually just makes sure our blasters are working right."

Ernesto pointed at one. "Is that... college-level math?"

Dendy snapped her fingers, and it vanished. "I was just doing that one for fun."

Darrell made a few metallic, shriek-filled attempts to snap his own fingers and see what would happen. She turned to inform him it only worked with her- Dendy was quite proud of how well-programmed her machines were, only responding to her particular wants and wishes- but before she could Lord Boxman walked into the game room, scowling up a storm. "What is going on in here?"

"I'm studying, sir," Dendy said immediately, while the other robots flinched. "You didn't seem to need me at all yesterday, so I assumed-"

"Well, I need you now." he snapped, whirling around on his heels. "Hurry up already!"

Dendy followed behind at a snail's pace, reluctant to give the villain what he wanted. A small, hero-centric part of her hated being ordered about like this by a man who undoubtedly hated her very existence. A larger, more logical part of her told her to keep quiet and do as he said, lest she be drawn into battle in the middle of enemy territory, which is never a good plan, and Dendy knew that was the smartest way to go about it. (Besides. She still didn't have any worthwhile information yet.)

Finally, about halfway across the factory, Lord Boxman started talking again. "I didn't need you yesterday because I was busy," he grumbled, as if she had somehow cut him off. "I've been working on the piranha plan. Y'know, trying to make them smaller?"

"I remember."

They entered the main hub where the bus-sized creature was being kept. One look told Dendy it was still bus-sized. Lord Boxman led her up an upraised platform, one hand dragging on the railing, to the very center. "Well, I kinda... dropped the remote?"

Dendy blinked at him. "You mean the creature's controller?"

"Of course. What else?" He rolled his eyes. "It fell in, and, well..." Lord Boxman cleared his throat. He was blushing. "I'm not a very strong swimmer."

Her eyebrows rose. Dendy forced her tone to remain steady. "Sir?"

"What?"

"Are you telling me that you made an aquatic-based robot... but are unable to swim yourself?" She reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose, just under the goggles. "What if there was further correction needed? How would you have fixed it?"

Lord Boxman balled his hands into fists. "I ALREADY TOLD YOU I WASN'T IN THE BEST FRAME OF MIND WHEN I BUILT IT, OKAY!?"

Shannon, leaning over the railing, stepped back with a grimace. "Yuck. Who actually likes this stuff, anyway? Makes me rust."

"I suppose organics do," Raymond replied, setting his chin on his hand. "They're basically made of it, aren't they?"

"They certainly don't feel like it," Darrell commented as he tested his hand. "I mean, those Lakewood losers are pretty solid when you hit 'em, y'know?"

"I am Jethro," Jethro said.

"You're right, Jethro," the cyclops 'bot answered. "Hey, Dendy, what do you- Dendy?"

Dendy was pulling her shoes and socks off. "Yes?"

"What're you doin'?"

"I'm going after the controller."

Shannon pointed at the water. "In  _that_?"

Dendy shrugged as she walked out onto the platform, her bare feet making quiet flap-flap noises on the cold metal. She rather hated having her feet out like this, but the promise of getting in a swim made it worth it. "I quite like water."

There's a dizzying moment of fear when Dendy hopped off, never one for heights, but then she hits the water, and all that melted away. Dendy blew some soothing bubbles out of her mouth as she sunk, waiting patiently for her feet to touch bottom. Even the large metal fish couldn't take away the bliss swimming gave kappas, in spite of the fact that a single tooth was bigger than her entire body. She gave a little kick, relishing in the cool slide as she made her way over to the dropped control- which, in Lord Boxman's defense, did remind her of a remote.

Dendy loathed to leave the water so soon, especially since she was soaked to the bone, but she kicked off and swam upwards. The robot eyed her, trying to judge her threat level. Being a level one on the POW Card scale, she doubted she'd be worth its time. Her head broke surface with a quiet grunt. She shook her wet googles out, then made for the edge of the pool, climbing out and over with a much louder grunt.

"That was amazing!" Darrell cried as she climbed the steps once again, handing over the controller to an equally surprised Boxman.

"How did you hold your breath that long?" Lord Boxman asked, too amazed to be demanding. "That pool is way too deep for a normal human."

"You're over-selling your pool, sir," Dendy said, trying (and failing) to wring out her short hair. "It was no problem to me. After all, I  _am_  semi-aquatic."

"You  _are_?"

Dendy stared at him. For once, she forgot about being polite. "Boxman, you  _are_  aware that I'm a kappaling, correct?"

He growled. "HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT!?"

"My skin is green." Light green, technically, but it was still fairly noticeable.

"What difference does that make?" Lord Boxman threw his hands out, flabbergasted. "Everyone in the entire stinking Plaza is differently colored! I swear, you people are like a rainbow of  _friendship_. It's sickening."

"Which ones are kappalings again?" Darrell asked, holding a finger up sheepishly. "I'm bad with organic names."

Dendy retrieved her socks and shoes, though she did not put them on (wearing wet socks is way worse than having her feet on cold ground). She wiped her hands dry, then opened her POW Card collection, grabbing a kappa card at random- it was her mother, Pepelina. She handed it to Darrell. "This is a kappa. I'm a kid kappa, or kappaling."

"Ooooh," he said, eye lighting up. " _That_  one."

Shannon bent over his shoulder to look at it. "Those weird head-hole critters?" She looked at Dendy. "You don't have a head-hole."

"That will come with age." Dendy retrieved the card, carefully checking it over for scratches. "I do have the webbed feet, though."

* * *

"Ahhh, Dendy, just who I wanted to see," Lord Boxman sighed as she hesitantly entered, about to take her leave. "I must thank you for retrieving the control from that pool earlier."

Several emotions surged through her at the villain's praise, the chief one being confusion. Dendy didn't think Lord Boxman had ever thanked anyone within her general vicinity before. She hadn't been entirely sure the words were in his vocabulary. Well, at least until now. "You're... welcome?"

He leaned on his hands, trying to remain impassive, but Dendy thought she saw a desperate look in his eyes. "You wouldn't happen to have any  _suggestions_  with the piranha, would you? I'm having trouble making it... smaller."

"I've been considering the problem in my free time, and have a solution, sir." Dendy pulled up a file. "How about, instead of making such a large creature smaller, we take the unnecessary metal and make it  _longer_? That way, it still keeps its strength and power, but it will fit better in the plumbing."

"Like a long... fish?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of a water snake, sir." Dendy widened the blueprints so he could see them more easily. She could feel a small smile on her face; Dendy loved solving issues almost as much as she loved facts and statistics. But, perhaps, Lord Boxman would take it as her taking enjoyment in villainy, and that would definitely get her some extra points.

"Brilliant!" He clapped his hands together. "We attack tomorrow."

Something in her lightened at that. Perhaps this endeavor would bring her info after all. Dendy smiled a bit wider. "I'll be sure to put it in my notes, sir."

"Now, Dendy," Lord Boxman prompted, putting his chin on the back of his hand. "We wouldn't want to ruin the surprise, would we?"

"No, sir."

"Good." He sat back in his chair, steepling his fingers. "Let's make this your first test, then. If you spill the beans, I'll know you aren't actually interested in villainy. If you don't, I'll keep you on."

The smile slipped off Dendy's face. "Sir?"

Lord Boxman shrugged. "You have to admit, it's a _bit_  odd that the first hero-turned-villain from the Plaza is the best friend of that meddlesome brat K.O. I just figured it'd be in my best interest to cover my bases. So, we'll see how this more generic attack plays out, then go from there. Alright?"

"Oh," Dendy said, voice flat. It was all she could think to say.

Shannon led her to the door with a hand on her shoulder. At first, Dendy thought it was an attempt to intimidate her, but then Shannon opened her mouth and spoke.

"Sorry about that," she said. "Daddy can be... paranoid. But who can blame him? He's never employed non-robots before." Her fingers squeezed in what she took to be a supportive manner. "Don't worry.  _We_  know you wouldn't betray us."

That left her far from reassured, though she attempted to smile anyway. It came out more as a grimace.

* * *

**Name: Shannon**

**Nickname, Or Full Name: No Data**

**(If Nickname) Full Name: No Data**

**Danger Level: Low**

**Unknowns: Age, How Much of Plaza Hatred Is Her Own**

**Knowns: Loyal to Father Figure (Lord Boxman), Likes Purple, Melodramatic**

**Notes: Possible Ally**

**Overall Opinion: Very Snarky, but Also Very Sensitive**

* * *

**Day 3 Notes:**

**-This Was a Mistake**

**-What Have I done**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo-hoo, chapter two! It's not as long as the first, but I'm certainly not complaining. =) Next chapter will be mostly about day five.
> 
> -Mandaree1


	3. Day 5

**Day 4 Notes:**

**-Mistakes have been made.**

* * *

It's easy for Dendy to focus on schoolwork, regardless of her emotional state. Just like it's easy to plug the weather into her logs (fifty-nine degrees, with a hint of dew and threatened rainstorms) and check off her routine on her schedules. She sits down, pulls out a writing utensil, and has at it, ignoring the fact that her already pretty iffy handwriting is even worse than usual. That doesn't necessarily mean she's with it, so to speak, so much as that she refuses to get a bad grade, even in the wake of what is absolutely the worst plan of her life.

(Also, it's a nice distraction from having to look at K.O., whose right arm bears the tooth indents of a particular water snake that she may have helped redesign. Dendy won't deny that's part of it.)

Dendy doesn't like opening her logs in class, mostly out of principle, but today she did it anyway, surreptitiously writing under her desk.

 _I am a kappa of many emotional glitches_ , she slowly typed, scowling.  _But I did not think disloyalty to be among them. This impasse is insurmountable. I did not consider the fact that while I may get info from Lord Boxman..._  Dendy's eyes were drawn upwards when K.O. winced, reflexively rubbing at the wound.

_...I'd have to help him hurt my friend to do it._

She swallowed.

_Clearly, this was a mistake on my part. Facts and figures do not lie, but emotions do. I must've found the notion too indescribably disturbing to put it into the math. Realistically, I know this is of no more moral dilemma than the experiments I used to run on him, but my experiments were typically well-meaning, if painful, in my pursuit of answers. However, Boxmore's key goal is to harm heroes, and that includes K.O._

_My eyes were clouded. This must be rectified._

* * *

Dendy found her mother playing solitaire at the dinner table. In her hands she clutched Pavel's frog like a stuffed toy, the creature croaking comfortingly. "I've made a terrible mistake."

"So did I," Pepelina said. "I think I just blocked myself in."

"I joined a villainous corporation," Dendy said. "And unintentionally got K.O. injured."

Pepelina looked up. As always, the kappaling was astounded by her brilliant poker face. She took in Dendy's expression, the frog tightly held to her chest, and shifted so she was half-off the chair. "'Mon up, Den. Tell me what happened."

By the time Dendy finished explaining, Pavel's frog was resting on her tiny lap, looking very peaceful. Dendy wished she could say the same. "Are you... angry with me?"

"Angry?" Pepelina asked, sounding puzzled.

She nodded, her flat voice low with defeat. "I betrayed the good guys."

"You didn't betray anything, kiddo. That's kind of what the whole spy thing means."

"Perhaps, but I  _harmed_  them." Dendy adjusted her googles. "I used my science for evil."

"Science isn't evil, Den." Her mother's fingers ran through her hair. "That's your little catchphrase, isn't it?"

"It can be used for evil, and that's what happened." She pulled up her blueprints. "And even if my hero-ness wasn't altered, there's no taking back the fact that this never would have happened if I hadn't given Lord Boxman my assistance."

"Maybe not, but this is fixable." Pepelina kissed the back of her head. "Just turn in a resignation form, sweetie. You aren't the first little hero to have a black mark on their resume."

"My  _employment_  is fixable," Dendy agreed heavily. "But the damage is not. Wounds may heal, and so do memories, but camera footage exists always. There's no destroying what I've done."

"Dendy, honey, if anyone asks, I never told you this." A small, knowing smile curved her mother's face. "But your lil' hackerpack is more than capable of destroying those rusty ol' security cameras."

* * *

**Name: Darrell**

**Nickname, Or Full Name: No Data**

**(If Nickname) Full Name: No Data**

**Danger Level: Low**

**Unknowns: Age, How Much of Plaza Hatred Is His Own**

**Knowns: Loyal to Father Figure (Lord Boxman), Likes Rainbows**

**Notes: Possible Ally**

**Overall Opinion: Very Nice, Couldn't Insult a Tree**

* * *

"...And then, when I went to see if she wanted to walk home together- like we  _always_  do- she jumped the fence!"

"Dendy jumped a fence?" Enid repeated bemusedly, eyebrow raised. "As in, _Dendy_  Dendy?"

"I know, right?" K.O. threw his hands in the air, then winced and withdrew his right arm. "It's so unlike her. I mean, sometimes she likes being by herself, and I totally get that, but she knows she can just  _tell_   _me_  and I'll give her space." He rubbed at the fresh bandage in what Dendy would label a nervous tic. "What if she doesn't wanna be friends anymore?"

"K.O., it's Dendy we're talking about here." She slouched over the counter to ruffle the top of his impossibly large hair. "If she really didn't wanna be friends with you, she'd send you, like, an email or something."

He perked up a little. "Hey, yeah, you're right." K.O. twisted around. "Speaking of emails, I got your review. It's the first one I ever got!"

"It was a good oneshot. It deserved the review."

"Aww, what?" Rad poked Enid's arm, pouting. "K.O. wrote a oneshot and nobody told me?  _Lame_."

"I didn't think it was cool enough for you," he admitted sheepishly.

"Dude. Dude." The alien leaned over, sagely setting a hand on his shoulder. "Your first fanfic is the first step on a journey of self-and-story discovery. And everyone knows the first step is the _coolest_  of all the steps."

"For once, he ain't wrong," Enid said. "Fanfics got me into fan-songs, and if you ever tell anyone I admit to knowing either I  _will_  eat your souls again." She pulled a face. "Even though they aren't all that tasty."

* * *

It wasn't like Dendy to be so nervous about putting her thoughts out there, but she hovered outside of Lord Boxman's office for almost three minutes, her upside down triangle frown trembling.

( **Observation:**  the last time she had spoken to Lord Boxman, she had not played part in injuring her best friend.  **Hypothesis:**  she was using worry to mask anger, because Dendy had never liked her anger. Her voice got all squeaky and she forgot logic and facts and figures. No one likes losing control like that.  **Independent Variable:**  everything; Dendy had lost control of this ages ago.  **Dependent Variable:**  Dendy.)

Dendy steeled herself and tapped on the door. She was surprised by how quickly it opened.

"Yes, yes, what is it?" Lord Boxman demanded, scowling. He was still upset from losing the day before. "I didn't call for you."

"You didn't," Dendy agreed. "I'm quitting."

"I see," he said, and, to her shock, he seemed very calm about this. "Would you like to step into my office?"

The kappa pulled up her control panel, more than ready to bust through a wall. "Do you  _want_  me to step into your office?"

" _Relax_." He held up his hands. "I just wanna talk."

That gave Dendy pause. "You do?"

"Yup." Lord Boxman gestured for her to step inside. "I just fixed the floors from the  _last_  big battle in the warehouse. I'm not interested in wrecking them again so soon."

The door clicked shut silently behind him, but, to Dendy, it was reminiscent of a safe door slamming and locking.

"Now, I'll be real with you, Dendy." He guided her to the chair in front of his desk without actually touching her, hand hovering behind her. "I always kind of figured you were a goody-goody. No one who's friends with that brat K.O. can be truly evil.  _Morally gray_ , maybe, but evil? Puh _-lease_. Don't insult me." Dendy watched as he went around his desk and sat down. "Originally, I only planned to give you some meaningless paperwork to do, then rub it in his face. But you've proven to be quite the valuable asset."

Dendy swallowed. She'd seen enough cartoons to know that wasn't a good sign. "I do my best to _do_  my best, sir."

Lord Boxman nodded sympathetically, as if she'd said something truly sad. "Stop me if you've heard this before, but I have a question: what's the difference between good and evil?"

"I didn't stop you, but I've heard that before."

"What's your answer?"

"Villains do their best to do their worst. Heroes do their best to do good."

"But each is inherently flawed, isn't it?"

"You're being oddly philosophic, Lord Boxman."

He put his chin on his chicken hand. "When I'm not spending my time trying to wreck a store, I can actually hold a somewhat civil conversation. Especially when it's to get something I want."

Dendy's eyes narrowed. "What  _do_  you want?"

"Your services have proven to be of great use to me, Dendy," he said. "Not only did you help me work through evil block, you gave me ideas for my next big scheme. And I'll need  _your_  help to do it."

"You will?"

"If I want it up and running quickly, yes."

"That's a shame, sir," Dendy said. "Seeing how I'm quitting."

"That's a shame," Lord Boxman echoed. "Seeing how I have photographic evidence of you helping me with my evil plans."

Dendy blinked. Blinked again. "Photographic?"

He shrugged. "I know you can hack my computers. I know you can delete my security cameras. But your little mystical hacking fingers can't do squat against photos."

"I'm..." she started, but didn't finish. She wasn't sure what she wanted to say.

Lord Boxman smiled. Dendy had never really paid attention to his sharp teeth, but they were prominent on his face now. "I'll see you tomorrow, Dendy. Have a safe walk home."

* * *

Dendy pulled up Lord Boxman's data file. She clicked on  **Overall Opinion.**

' **Butthead** ', it read.

She deleted it. Changed it.

' **There Are no Proper Words for the Depths of my Hatred for Him** ', she put in its' place. It was a mouthful, but private files aren't for reading.

* * *

Dendy didn't cry very often. Not when she was sad, or scared, or grieving. No, crying seemed solely for frustration and anger, which she was feeling a lot of right now. But she was still technically in public, so she put a hand to her mouth and breathed hard, fogging up her goggles. Did it look silly? Yes. Did it help preserve her fragile dignity? Also yes.

Unfortunately, it also aided in her bumping into things, which she promptly did. Dendy doesn't mind that so much as she minds that it's warm. Then it talks, and her heart sinks into her belly.

"Howdy, kiddo." Gentle hands steadied her shoulders. "Fancy seein' you here."

"Mrs. K.O.?"

Carol chuckled at the name. It's just something Dendy attributed to her from the beginning, even though it wasn't correct. Friends called friends' parents 'Mr.' and Mrs.', and Dendy wasn't going to break that little rule, despite K.O.'s mother lacking a last name. "Heya. Heard you weren't talkin' to my boy." Carol seemed to realize how that sounded, and corrected herself accordingly. "You're not in trouble or anything, kiddo. I just wanted to make sure you were doin' okay?"

"I-I'm fine," Dendy said, then did the most _not-fine_  thing a kid could do and sniffled. "Terrible s-sorry for the concern, Mrs. K.O."

"Dendy," Carol prompted, voice soft. "Are you cryin'?"

"I'm very angry," she replied, followed by her face crumpling. Carol, ever the mom-type person, immediately got on her knees and pulled the kappa in for a hug, patting her head comfortingly.

 _This is the least logical thing I've done all week_ , Dendy thought, and reluctantly let herself go for a moment. Once she felt better, she knew, she would be fully functioning. That was when her trek to victory could begin.

* * *

"So, what yer tellin' me..." Carol stopped to take a drink from her coffee mug, setting it down on the counter. "Is that I need to go over to Boxmore, fry Lord Boxman's hand, and force-feed it to 'em for lunch?"

Dendy cradled a cup of green tea in her hands, letting the warmth soothe her. "Please don't do that. I think it counts as cannibalism."

"Trust me, kiddo. He'll be  _lucky_  if I stop at cannibalism."

"I have plans of my own," she said, trying to come across as confident. Mostly, Dendy just felt drained. "I don't enjoy being beaten at my own game, Mrs. K.O. I intend to show him that."

Carol whistled appreciatively. "You go get 'em, Dendy. And, between you and me, I know a few things about hiding evidence."

"Are you encouraging illegal action?"

She winked. "I may be retired, but I'm not letting the stuff I learned at P.O.I.N.T. go to waste."

Cup drained, Carol set Dendy on the couch and went to make a phone call to her parents. Dendy was of the impression that she had been accepted into a sleepover she never inquired about. It made her feel a little bit better- how much Carol cared about her son's friends. Speaking of, she heard the pitter-patter of his feet on the floor, expertly dodging various punching bags and barbells.

"Deeeeennnnndddddyyyyyy!" K.O. wailed, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. She swore he was blubbering. "I-I-I thought you h-ha- _hated_  me!"

"K.O.," she said, slightly muffled. "If I hated you, I would've sent you an email ending our friendship."

"I should've known," he half-chuckled, pulling back. His eyes were wet for reasons beyond Dendy's current understanding. "I gotta B on the test, by the way. Thanks."

"Do you hate me?" Dendy asked, eyes drawn to the white bandage.

" _Hate you_?" K.O. repeated, aghast. "Why would I hate you?"

"I've been working for Boxman."

He nodded, rocking on his feet. "Mommy called and told me when she drove you here."

Dendy let out a frustrated squeak. " _You don't get it_!" she cried, thrusting her hands out. Dendy grabbed his wrist, shaking the limb. "I helped make this happen! I hurt you! I tried to destroy the Plaza! I have been the exact opposite of a proper hero and friend!"

K.O. stared at her, floored. Then he snorted and pulled her in for another hug. "You didn't hurt me," he reassured her. "And you didn't try to destroy the Plaza. If you did, you woulda sent something  _waaaaaaay_  better than a stretchy metal piranha."

"That's true," she admitted. "And it was a water snake. I think. It was kind of both."

* * *

"Man, I knew Buttman was a jerk," Rad said. "But I didn't realize he was that big of a jerk."

"Why are you two here?" Dendy asked. "This is K.O. and Mrs. K.O.'s house."

Enid and Rad both had taken the floor in front of the couch, lounging at their feet. Carol had secured blankets for them all, so they had formed a pile of blanket burritos. The room was lit only by the TV, which was playing a movie Dendy hadn't really been paying attention to. Down the hall they could hear Carol's snores.

The ninja reached out of her own blanket burrito to pat her knee. "We heard you needed support. Also Lord Boxman needed a wedgie."

"Why is everyone so determined to cause him physical harm?" Dendy blinked at them, ignoring the urge to take off her googles and clean them. "I can't exact revenge if he's out of commission."

"Well,  _somebody's_  gotta do it," Rad defended huffily. "He messed with you."

"So?" Dendy replied quietly. She may have accepted his apology, but that didn't mean his words hadn't set her on this path. If he found her logic and statistics and science and  _Dendy stuff_  so boring, why would he care? Why would any of them? She certainly hadn't proven herself in any way with this endeavor.

"Okay, look." Rad put his hands out, both sideways, as if holding an invisible box. "You're weird and awkward and kinda creepy sometimes- but you're  _our_  weird and awkward and kinda creepy sometimes kid, y'know?"

"Yup." Enid reached back to poke K.O.'s nose. "Just like this is our pure cinnamon roll, too pure for this world."

K.O. waved it off with a blush. "Aw, shucks."

Dendy found herself smiling, despite the mixed feelings in her chest. "I know I... I focus on my interests more than I do others'. And I wish I could apologize for that, but I can't. I am who I am." She finally gave in, plucking her goggles off her face and rubbing a dry eyelid. Kappas weren't built to be dry. "I just wanted to try and make up for it, I guess. It was silly."

"Dendy, I  _like_  doing the stuff we do." K.O. poked her shoulder so she looked at him. "And, yeah, I don't really know a lot of your super smart science words, but that's fun too! It's like I'm doing a  _friend riddle_."

"Everyone does things their own way," Enid said from the front. "That's not a bad thing, dude."

"Yeah," Rad added. "I'm tough. Enid's cool, or whatever. You're a nerd." Enid kicked him. "A really awesome nerd! Haha,  _nailed it_."

"Yes," Dendy said, turning back to the TV. "I suppose you did."

* * *

**Day 5 Notes:**

**-Boxman Continues to be a Butthead**

**-Victory Will be Mine**

**-He Will Pay**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeey, chapter three finally done! Next is gonna be about Day 9, while the last one (an epilogue of sorts) will be day 10.
> 
> -Mandaree1


	4. Day 9

When Dendy's mind is set, it is almost impossible to change it. This proves to be such a situation. She rarely speaks to anyone as she works, going straight to Boxmore after school and heading home when it gets dark.

It's Darrell who approaches her after a long few days of work and testing, hesitantly setting a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, Dendy?"

Dendy quickly closed her open files. She slowly turned, determined to seem normal, only to find the entire Boxmore robot family gathered, each bearing a striking flash of color. "Have I done something unsatisfactory?"

"No, no." Raymond shook his head, unintentionally making a screeching sound that made Dendy want to clench her teeth. "We simply came to... apologize."

Shannon went next. "Daddy can be a bit... snappish. But it's not his fault, really. He's never worked with someone like you before."

Dendy's eyes narrowed.  _Dendy stuff?_  Again? Was she doomed to be treated oddly forever? "What do you mean?"

"I am Jethro," Jethro piped up.

"Well put, buddy." Darrell picked him up with a solemn nod. "Working with heroes is way different than working with robots."

"Oh," she said, pleasantly surprised.

Ernesto cleared his vocal box and stepped forward. In his hands was a flash drive. "I... got these for you. Don't tell Lord Boxman, please." He watched sheepishly as she wrapped it in her holographs, pulling up the data inside. "It just didn't seem fair. We're a lot of things here at Boxmore, but blackmailers isn't one of them."

Dendy stared at the piece of tech. There was the possibility that this was a ruse, of course, and Lord Boxman had put them up to this, but she saw nothing like that in their presentation. She took in a deep breath.

"I'm going to do something of a heroic nature tomorrow," she told them. "I'd rather you not get involved."

The Boxmore 'bots exchanged glances.

"Will it hurt our business?" Ernesto inquired.

"No."

"Will it hurt Daddy?" Shannon pressed.

"No," Dendy repeated, then recalculated. "Though it may injure his pride a bit."

* * *

**Day 8 Notes:**

**-Original Plan has Failed**

**-Revenge Must be Private- Can't Have Whole Town Finding Out I've Been Working for Boxmore**

**-Perimeters Aren't an Issue**

* * *

"It's finished, sir."

Lord Boxman let out a shout of triumph as he jogged into the hallway, grinning ear to ear. "Finally!"

The villain let her lead, though he undoubtedly knew his company better than her. Metal hallway gave way to metal hallway, blending seamlessly together. Various Ernestos hurried by, busy with mundane tasks, Darrells close behind, usually with some boxes or papers. "May I speak my mind, Lord Boxman?"

He waved it off with a scoff. "Fine, fine, whatever."

Irritation wiggled in her belly at the way she was being spoken to, but Dendy forced herself to remain calm. There was no use in giving up the ruse quite yet. "The other day, you requested to know what the difference was between heroes and villains. I've given it some thought, and I believe I have a proper answer."

Lord Boxman looked surprised. Perhaps he'd forgotten about it. "Oh. That."

"That," she agreed with a nod. Dendy clasped her hands behind her back. "My main hypothesis is that villains can only exist because of heroes."

He raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Think about it," Dendy urged, feeling a bit pleased by the conflicting emotions crossing his face. "Evil and good exist simultaneously, forever. But hero is a title for anyone who does good, whereas villain is for a specific form of evil, typically relating to the harassment of heroes. Good spins on without a name or face, whereas villainy relies on it. We're here."

Lord Boxman almost runs into a wall. She's not sure if he's just naturally clunky, or if her words have had a greater effect on him than expected. Or, more likely, he was simply taken off guard by the modifications she'd done to their piranha turned water snake, which had now been turned into what could best be described as a dragon, minus the unnecessarily complicated wings and horns. The creature's original comically large teeth had been preserved, as well as its snake body, but it now had the addition of stubby and sharp claws that shrieked and creaked as it shifted.

"It's perfect," he breathed.

Dendy made an affirming noise. "I've named her Pointy."

" _I'll_  be the one giving out the names 'round here, thank you very much," he snapped, then settled, holding his hands up. "Come to papa, my death lizard."

Pointy shifted her head to the side, fixing one empty cylinder of an eye on him.

Dendy elaborated. "She's deciding whether to listen to you."

Lord Boxman clearly didn't like that. "OF COURSE YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO ME, YOU UGLY HUNK OF METAL! I'M YOUR CREATOR!" He flapped his hands. "I COULD'VE SCRAPPED YOU AT ANY TIME, BUT NOOOO, I TOOK PITY INSTEAD!"

"Pointy doesn't like being yelled at," Dendy told him quietly. "Lord Boxman, sir?"

He took a pointed step back as Pointy rose to her full height, jaws parting slightly. "Y-Yes?"

"Animalistic robots are not your strong suit."

She snapped her fingers.

* * *

Dendy opened the door to Gar's just as Boxmore suffered from a particularly powerful explosion, sending rubble in various directions. Dendy, who had been suppressing a smile all the way across the street, coughed into her hands to head a laugh off at the pass, feeling it to be inappropriate.

K.O. greeted her with their typical hug, staring in awe at the scene behind her. "Whoa! You really went off, huh, Dendy?"

She gave a minute shrug. "He should have known better than to try and threaten me."

"Dude, that's sick!" Rad let out a whistle as he approached. "I'm kinda shocked that you weren't followed by some vengeful Boxmore 'bots."

Another shrug. Dendy's eyes fell into their usual slit-shape. "We have an agreement."

As it turned out, Dendy  _had_  been followed, but not any children of Lord Boxman. Pointy's stubby movements weren't quite a slither or a crawl as she crossed over to the Bodega, but they were certainly movement. The dragon poked her giant muzzle into the doors and let out a hopeful chirp.

"Awww!" K.O. cooed. "She wants to stay with you!"

"Hmmm." Dendy cupped her chin, considering. "I do not believe she will fit in my room, but I'm sure I can think of something."

Enid meandered around the robotic lizard, studying the equally sleek and awkward limbs and joints. She finally came around the front with a little cackle, hands on her hips. "Wow, Dendy. And I thought  _I_  was the biggest anime nerd here. This out-animes me."

In a flash of inspiration, the kappa soulfully nodded her head. "Dattebayo, Enid. Dattebayo."

Rad choked on air.

K.O. hugged Pointy. The dragon purred. "Aww, I love you too." He smiled toothily at Dendy. "This is so cool! You're the best, Dendy!"

For the first time that day, her good mood faltered in its step. Dendy's eyes darted away when she noticed the bandage still firmly on his arm. "Yes, well..." She cleared her throat. "I'd just like to take this moment to apologize again. For being so irrational. I truly didn't mean to cause you all grief."

Enid was closest to her, and ruffled her hair accordingly. "Aww, s'no biggie. We all get a little irrational sometimes."

"I don't."

"Well, welcome to our world, then."

Dendy, trying to decipher whether that was sarcasm or an oddly-placed joke, didn't respond.

As they went back into the Bodega, Rad made a point to gently jostle her elbow. "Hey. If you're so worried about spending time, or whatever, you  _could_  help us out around here."

"I'm not very good with customer service," she admitted, though, realistically, it was something they all knew. Dendy worked best when it was just her, her notes, and maybe some snacks. "I'd just get in the way."

"You don't gotta man the counter. Besides- you're not technically an employee, so I don't think it's allowed." The alien pointed at the duster K.O. had left dangling precariously next to a pack of wafers. "But we could always use another set of hands cleaning."

"Oh," Dendy said. She shucked her backpack off, trying not to look too grateful. Or, worse- too ashamed. Why hadn't that come to her sooner? An urge to make a spectacle out of herself?  _Pride_? A lack of proper factoring? "Of- of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyyyy, I finally got around to doing this! I've been pretty lazy lol. Next chapter is gonna be a short epilogue, and then we'll be done.
> 
> Fun Fact- originally, Dendy and Pointy were gonna betray Boxman in the middle of the road, but that kind of ruined the incognito thing going on. Before that, I was planning on doing it with a Voltron-type thing made up of all the Boxmore 'bots, wherein Dendy poked them in the ankle and they 'collapsed' (faked it), but that didn't feel right. Then I realized that I could use our ol' friend the water snake, and here we are!
> 
> -Mandaree1


	5. Day 10

"Pssst. Hey!"

Dendy paused in her window shining, glancing over her shoulder. Hovering behind a van was one of many Darrells, waving a hand for her to come closer. She glanced inside the Bodega to find no attention on her, then turned and did as she was asked. "Yes?"

He leaned over the hood, eye narrowing slightly. "Are you the one who does the colors?"

"I suspect I am, yes." Dendy opened her holographic screen. "Which one would you like?"

This particular Darrell chose black highlights, which she gladly put into place. If Lord Boxman noticed her continued meddling with the color scheme of his 'bots, he hadn't raised any noticeable fuss about it. Likewise, Dendy had yet to turn any Boxmore 'bot away, in spite of being on opposite sides. It was just easier this way.

"Thanks, Den." His grin was all sharp teeth but no intimidation. "You're the best!"

Dendy smiled.

* * *

**Final Notes:**

**-Boxman is a Butthead, But Easily Contained**

**-Boxmore Children Prove to be Good Allies**

**-Lesson Learned;** **Next Time I Join a Villainous Organization, I Will Bring Pointy With Me.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the end, ya'll! It's short, but I like it.
> 
> I originally intended for the epilogue to be Dendy confronting Boxman about good vs. evil while getting her stuff out of the office, but it fit better in the last chapter.
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> -Mandaree1

**Author's Note:**

> I'd actually planned to continue this into a super big oneshot, but I just realized this would do better in a series of chapters. I have no idea how many chapters this will take, but I'm pretty sure it'll be around five, so I'mma set the bar around that. ( I also don't think they'll be nearly this long for the most part- but I've surprised myself before!)
> 
> -Mandaree1


End file.
